June 2012 Mastectomy

@curveball:  I am meeting with my BS on Monday to discuss all this and hopefully get my drain out.  Because where I treat is a Comprehensive Cancer Center, this is their protocol.  Last night I read so many studies and of course, the landmark study which changed the course of how circulating tumor cells and micros are handled, my BS/MO will definately follow the protocol.  Here is a comment from the NEJM:

" . . . that looking for micromets in the sentinel nodes can be like "baking 1 raisin into a cake and then going after the raisin." If you only take 1 cut of the cake, then chances are that you won't find it, he explained, but taking 300 cuts increases the probability that you will. "The harder you look, the more you will find," said Dr. Weaver about micromets. This is "gratifying," but "it really doesn't make a difference."

So, on Monday, I will have to schedule surgery for the dissection since everything has been done.  Since this new landmark study, what ever happened to women that had positive nodes?  What happened to the analysis that chemo will clean up any stray cells that are left behind systematically, and I assume, microscopic cell in your nodes?  

While reading these boards over the last several weeks, I always wondered why a lot of women had the SNB and a full dissection.  Now I understand -- as if we don't have enough psychological and scarring as it is with this disease.  I had BC 10 years ago on the other breast and I thought I could breeze right through this surgery and treatment --- OH, SO WRONG!

On Monday, the tumor board review will convene and discuss my case.  After I have the full dissection, as I was already told, it will not preclude me from ALSO having radiation to my armpit area after chemo.  That is up to the tumor board to make that additional recommendation.  I will find out on Monday --  

nang- yes i would love to wait with me!!! My doctor is going on vacation thats why im waiting so long. UNFAIR

My drain removal hurt like someone was burning me with a match, but only the right side(nodes remove) the left hurt much much less.

Tais I looked right away! I also took a sneak peek in the hospital room and pulled up my bandage. Then I took a sponge bath and asked the nurses to show me in the mirror so they helped me stand so I could see. I also flashed my mom and sisters, my friend who is a nurse, and my husband. I actually think its really beneficial for others to see bc it makes it real for them. For us it's an experience totally encompassing every aspect of our lives, but for especially my sisters I wanted them to see so that they will take my urging them to get regular check ups seriously. Also, I think I might take pics to show my daughters someday. My youngest walked in on me changing a bandaid on my drainhole on the one side that is still healing. Later that day she asked me..."mommy, what happened to those long things on your 'NIN? " (NIN is our nickname for breasts) she was talking about my nipples, so I had to explain that part to her. But she was really normal about it all. I haven't shown my 11 yo yet. I might not. She's at that age where everything needs to be normal and just like everyone else....so, I might just take pics and share it with her when shes interested. I also think its important to look so you can keep track of your bruising and how it's developing. I can't feel anything on the bottom third of my breast and that area is all dark and green now...but it feels like nothing. So, I think knowing that I'm seeing healing is also good. It could like, go black or something and how would I know if something weird was going on if I didn't look and know whats going on there?.

7of9: thanks for your words of encouragement from the depths of this hellish crap I'm in at the moment - stuck in. Yes, these last couple of days, Xanax has been my BFF!

Anybody had problems with bruising or drainholes? I woke up this am and my last drainhole had leaked all over my pyjammas. It was probably about a half teaspoon to a teaspoon of blood, but not fresh red blood, it looks like old blood u know kinda darker brownish? I went to the wound clinic to see the nurse as soon as I woke up and saw it and she wasnt concerned about infection, she said she thinks I have a hematoma bc the breast is green on that side, bruise green but green nonetheless. She gave me a pad to wear on the drainhole because my skin is irritated from all the bandaid tape.

cjanet: Did you do Taxotere first and then doing AC?  

NanG:  I think if you had an infection, you would be running a temp.  My bruising is multiple colors right now.  I have not hit the "green" bruising stage yet.  Maybe you ripped the stitching on your last drain that was holding it in.  Did you call your BS?

Hope everyone is healing well! 

beata44, i had my bmx on the 19th. I am taking colace twice a day. it didn't work until the day I took 3 walks. I'm drowning myself in water too. Hope the pipes work better today! Good luck with your skin irritation & upcoming path.

I know it's not June anymore so I'm really late to the club, but I had my surgery on June 26 so I am in the middle of trying to sort out if my recovery is going normally or not.  Of course that is assuming there is any 'normal' to strive for. Heheh

I chose to have a simple mastectomy along with the normal node biopsy and no recon.  I may decide to pursue that later but decided to keep this surgery as simple as possible.

I spent two nights in the hospital.  I have no idea how long my surgery was as I kind of lost track of the time during all the pre-surgery stuff and then I was pretty out of it when I did come out of the anesthesia.  I don't remember much about the recovery room or the trip to my hospital room.  I think I threw up some liquids a few times.  I know I threw up a bit after I first got up to use the bathroom.  They gave me nausea meds after those incidents.   They kept me on liquid diet the next day and progressed to some foods the next day.  Everything seemed to go well.  I was kind of interested in my blood pressure readings as I had been diagnosed with hypertension in April and I had been adjusting my diet to try to fix that.  All of my readings were good in the hospital including a few on the nervously low side (90 over 50).   I didn't worry about my diabetes there since I had no control over my diet.  They did lower the amount of glucose they were pumping into me through my IV after a few high readings and that seemed to get my numbers down to acceptable levels.

I'm kind of glad that I chose to stay two nights there.  I was feeling a lot more restless and active on the second day and was really really tired of how that hospital bed was making me feel.   I came home Thursday afternoon.  I've been doing my arm exercises and taking my Norco.  I'm experiencing some constipation and I'm not sure that or the meds are to blame for my poor appetite lately.  I know I'm not really eating enough but I'm just not that hungry.

I wasn't expecting my incision site to look so weird and lumpy.  I was kind of expecting just a smooth scar.  It seems really fat and puffy right where my drain is but then if I compare that side to my non-surgery side, I do have a bit of side-boob there so maybe it's just where they stopped taking boob out.

They didn't make an extra incision for the sentinel nodes they removed (2) so I don't have the underarm incision.  I think that is giving me a better range of motion than I had expected.  (yay)

Other than feeling really tired at times - and tenderness in some of the incision area especially around the drain - I'm not feeling too bad.  My boyfriend was kind of surprised that I'm a lot more mobile and 'normal' than he was expecting me to be. 

Okay, so the green bruise is slowly turning yellow. The drainage is stopping...now it's like spotting but it's like brownish yellow coming out I dunno. I don't think it is an infection I think it's just bruise juice. I asked the nurses n they didn't think it was infection and i don't have any fever, chills or shivers or any other signs. I'm pretty sure I'm getting better anyways.



Something WEIRD is happening tho, and I haven't heard anyone else say this. I have weird pain down the back of my arms. Now, wait its not PAIN pain....it's like, the skin is really sensitive. I've had this feeling before in my life where it feels like u can't brush your fingers across your skin because it's too sensitive...pressure doesnt seem to be painful tho. It's almost like my skin nerves are hypersensitive or something? My arms aren't puffy or anything, so I don't suspect LE but I dunno.

Wow bev49, you have really been through it, i'm so sorry, i'm glad you're home and pray for a peaceful healing moving forward!

NanG: are you able to go into your doctors just to get it checked out? Like bev49 said, we can't be too careful.

Can u put pics on here?

U know what it's like? Sunburn...u know sunburn doesn't hurt when u have pressure but if you brush the skin or rub against it it's soooo sensitive. Sunburn is exactly what it feels like.



Called PS and there was no one at office. It's closed for holidays this week. But I still have appt with him tomorrow at the cancer center. I think it's healing girls. I'm really positive it is healing but taking advise from good counsel here I did call and email my PS a hot topless shot of myself that he can revel in for years to come! Lol. Never would've thought id be emailing doctors pics of my boobs ever....

Hello my June Bugs!! Hoping everyone is recovering and feeling better!



Nang and Jen I also have that tingle feeling under my arm and have been worried about it. I do have an appt tomorrow with BS and MO will be asking about it. Hoping drains come out I have had them since the 18th what a pain in the ass they are!! The only downside of getting them out is one step closer to radiation 😱

I have the weird sensation on back of arm and just figured it was due to the AXL it can get better over time so that is what I'm hoping for! My redness seems to be holding steady and I have no fever so hoping we are past all that and will commence healing!



I start chemo 7/19. Because I have the lymph node involvement and the lymphatic invasion (makes me feel like my body is Russia LOL) they switched the order so chemo first and then radiation. So many ups and downs i just keep trying to hold myself steady for now knowing I'll get through it



Hugs and healing thoughts for everyone and hoping you are all getting the maximum support possible on all fronts!

Kristi

Just got back from my post op with the PS. I only have 2 drains but they weren't quite ready to come out. I see BS on Thursday and I might be able to get them out them. They dont bother me too much. All in all, I just don't think I've handled this as well as I thought I would. I did have a really bad reaction to the anesthesia so my time at the hospital was pretty miserable. Now that Im home, I feel my attitude improving. I even can look at my scars and not feel too bad about it. I have nice muscle tone so I can see that eventually I'll have a couple of perky boobs. As far as pathology, I do know there was more LCIS on the left(not a surprise) but there was DCIS on the right (that was a surprise). Still waiting on final pathology but should know by Thursday. I continue to pray for peace and healing for us all. Best wishes,

Lori